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$ THE GLASS FACTORY. $
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..»†$$@£## SEVERAL CENTURIES AFTER IT HAD LAST ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### BELONGED TO US, WE WENT ON AN OUTING TO ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## THE GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR FAMILY ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# NAME. IT HAD CHANGED OWNERS MANY TIMES #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ SINCE OUR ANCESTORS DEATH, AND THEN £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ STOOD ABANDONED FOR A LONG WHILE. @$$†».....
......»†$$ FINALLY, THE NATURAL END STATION FOR $$†»......
.....»†$$@ THE BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVE: A MUSEUM, @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ AND A GIFT SHOP. £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## THERE'S A LONG TIME SINCE MY FAMILY ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### MADE ANYTHING. BY MANY, WE WOULD BE ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## CONSIDERED POOR. ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ THERE ARE TWO MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL FLOORS, MADE IN @$$†».....
......»†$$ YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT NARROW WINDOWS, $$†»......
.....»†$$@ REMINESCENT OF SOME CATHEDRAL. @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ CUSTOM-MADE GLASS, OF COURSE, LARGE AND £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# LEADED, AND ASHEN. A BIT TOO DARK TO BE #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## PRACTICAL. ON THE EASTERN BUILDING, ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### SOME ARE SHATTERED. ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# THE OTHER ONE IS PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ A MUSEUM, WITH WAX FIGURES OF MY GREAT £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, OR SOMETHING. @$$†».....
......»†$$ VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT ON $$†»......
.....»†$$@ TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS. A LOT OF @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ GLASS OF VARYING THICKNESS. £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## $$ ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### $$ $$ ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## »»»»»»» $ $ »»»»»»» ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# $$ $$ #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ $$ £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ @$$†».....
......»†$$ I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT, AND CLIMB INTO THE $$†»......
.....»†$$@ OTHER BUILDING. THE CONTRAST IS @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ OVERWHELMING. IT MUST HAVE STOOD £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# DERELICT FOR A LONG TIME, WINDOWS #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## BROKEN, METALLIC TRASH AND POOLS OF ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### DARK GLASS ALL OVER THE FLOOR. NO ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## ELECTRIC LIGHTS, BUT I CAN SEE BY THE ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# LIGHT THAT SHINES IN WHEREVER THE DARK #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ WINDOWS ARE MISSING A PANE. £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ @$$†».....
......»†$$ HOWEVER, THE GREATEST DIFFERENCE IS THE $$†»......
.....»†$$@ HIGHER FLOORS: THIS BUILDING HAS NONE. @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ IT IS ONE MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# INFINITELY ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## IS SOME GREAT IRON LATTICEWORK, FROM ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### WHERE CHAINS ARE SUSPENDED, AND PARTS ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## OF MACHINERY HAS BEEN FALLING DOWN. ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ THERE IS, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GREAT £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ HALL, A THIN SPIRAL STAIRCASE THAT @$$†».....
......»†$$ LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE, AND $$†»......
.....»†$$@ TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS. AFTER JUST @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ A REVOLUTION, I NOTICE THAT FOR EACH £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# STEP THE BUILDING STARTS TO GLOW, THE #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## BRICKS TURNING A DARK RED, AND THEN ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### ORANGE, ALL THE PILED UP DEBREE BEING ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## LIT FROM BEHIND. ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ I STOP READY TO RUN DOWN AND OUT, BUT £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE ON THE STAIRCASE @$$†».....
......»†$$ WITH ME NOW, PRESSED CLOSE. HE'S $$†»......
.....»†$$@ LOOKING LIKE ME, SHORT HAIR AND THIN @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ ARMS, BUT WITH EARS FROM SOME ANIMAL, £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# AND MORE DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY MADE #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## OF DARK LIQUID GLASS. ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## $$ ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# $$ $$ #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ »»»»»»» $ $ »»»»»»» £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ $$ $$ @$$†».....
......»†$$ $$ $$†»......
.....»†$$@ @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ MY FEAR HOLDS ME IN PLACE WHILE HE £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# STARTS OPERATING LEVERS AND DIALS SET #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## IN THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### IT STARTS SPINNING, CIRCLING UPWARDS. ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## IT'S AN ELEVATOR! I START TO RUN ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# DOWNWARDS, BUT NOW THE LIQUID BOY #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ CREATURE GRABS HOLD OF ME. I TRY TO £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO STRONG, AND @$$†».....
......»†$$ PULLS ME BACK UP BESIDE HIM. $$†»......
.....»†$$@ @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ THIS TIME, I TURN ANGRY INSTEAD. WHAT £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# THE HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY, ACTING LIKE #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## THIS? I REACH OUT MY FREE ARM AND SLAM ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### A RANDOM LEVER. SOME METAL BAR IS ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## SUDDENLY RELEASED BETWEEN US, HITTING ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# HIM ON THE ARM, FORCING MY RELEASE. I #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ SHOVE HIM OFF OF ME, AND HE FALLS INTO £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ THE LEVERS, MESSING THEM UP. @$$†».....
......»†$$ IMMEDIATELY, A THIN RUSTY CHAINMAIL $$†»......
.....»†$$@ CURTAIN IS DROPPED AROUND ME. BUT THE @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ ELEVATOR ALSO SPEEDS UP SIGNIFICANTLY. £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## THE WALLS ARE FLARING NOW, YELLOW, ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### WHITE, ALMOST BLUE. I CLOSE MY EYES AND ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## CURL INTO A BALL. BUT THEN, THE GLASS ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# BOY SCREAMS, A PIERCING SOUND THAT #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ FORCES MY EYES BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ BECOMES TOO LIQUID, HIS BODY POOLING @$$†».....
......»†$$ DOWN IN HIS NOW MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE $$†»......
.....»†$$@ TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS OF IN A GLASS @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ DROP THAT FALLS TOWARD THE FACTORY £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# FLOOR. #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### HE'S CRAWLING ON THE STAIRS, UNABLE TO ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## KEEP HIS BODY UPRIGHT. CAN'T REACH THE ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# LEVERS, CLAWS AT MY CHAINMAIL CAGE, #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ WHILE HIS BODY IS TURNING INTO DARK £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ PEARLS. FINALLY, HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF @$$†».....
......»†$$ HIMSELF AND THE SCREAM IS CUT SHORT. $$†»......
.....»†$$@ THE LAST OF HIM RAINS DOWN. @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# I STILL CAN'T REACH THE LEVERS FROM #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## WITHIN MY CAGE. LOOKING UP, I TRY TO ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### MAKE OUT THE CEILING, BUT IT'S ALL A ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## WHIRLING SEA OF COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# THE HELLFIRE OF THE FACTORY WALLS, BUT #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ VERY FAINT. I SIT DOWN, CURL BACK UP, £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ BECOME STILL. @$$†».....
......»†$$ $$†»......
.....»†$$@ $$ @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ $$ $$ £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# »»»»»»» $ $ »»»»»»» #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## $$ $$ ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### $$ ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# A LARGE CLUNK SHAKES MY ENTIRE BODY, #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ AND SNAPS ME BACK INTO REALITY. I'M £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ BACK AT THE FACTORY FLOOR, BUT THE @$$†».....
......»†$$ STAIRS ARE STILL MOVING SLIGHTLY, $$†»......
.....»†$$@ CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME THE LAST @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ FEW CENTIMETERS. I CAME FROM BELOW, £@$$†»....
...»†$$@£# SOMEHOW. THE CHAINMAIL IS RETRACTED, #£@$$†»...
..»†$$@£## AND I SLOWLY DISMOUNT THE STAIRS. ##£@$$†»..
.»†$$@£### ###£@$$†».
..»†$$@£## SHAKING AND CRYING, I MAKE MY WAY OVER ##£@$$†»..
...»†$$@£# THE FACTORY FLOOR, WADING THROUGH DARK #£@$$†»...
....»†$$@£ GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE DOWN, AND £@$$†»....
.....»†$$@ I SEE THERE'S SOMETHING FAINT INSIDE @$$†».....
......»†$$ THEM. EMBRYOS? ARE THESE EGGS? $$†»......
.....»†$$@ @$$†».....
....»†$$@£ I SHUDDER, AND CLIMB BACK OUT. £@$$†»....
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